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Rock Study #6 – Quartz

Quartz is a common rock found in my part of the world. We see it just about everywhere we go whether it is on our walking trail or down by the river. We mostly have milky quartz.

Here is my specimen gathered locally and now sitting in my collection. Okay, I already had lots of quartz in my collection but since my nature study goals were to collect the samples this year, I decided to get another one…you can never have too many rocks. 🙂

According to Wikipedia, milky quartz is the most commonly found type of quartz and can be found almost everywhere. I know we have found it a lot of places we have traveled. Even though it is very common, it is still beautiful and amazing to look at.

Some more interesting facts I learned this time:

  • All granite has quartz and feldspar crystals in it. The crystals in granite are not large and perfect.
  • Amethysts are crystals of quartz colored a beautiful violet by the presence of a tiny amount of manganese.
  • Quartz crystals are six-sided.
Photo courtesy of Rob Lavinsky at iRocks.com

Another interesting aspect of our quartz study was the knowledge that our local gold mines were commonly quartz gold mines. The gold was extracted using a series of stamp mills, mixed with water, and then extracted using mercury. I have seen the stamp mill replica in our town and was told that when it was in operation the noise echoed all over the town. I can only imagine how that would have sounded!

If you are interested in studying more about quartz using the Handbook of Nature Study, don’t miss this challenge from the archives: Quartz Study

To refresh your memory, I am going to try to collect all fifteen rocks discussed in the Rocks, Fossils and Arrowheads (Take-Along Guides).This month we spent lots of time out and about looking at rocks, collecting a few new ones, and enjoying our rock adventures. We did not actually complete any of the fifteen rocks from the book. I can see now that I need to be more purposeful if I am going to achieve this goal in the year 2013.


The affiliate links in this post are to things I own and highly recommend.

 

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Nature Literature and Step Gently Out

Step gently out,
be still,
and watch
a single blade
of grass.

I want to introduce you to another wonderful children’s nature study book, Step Gently Out. This book, written from the ant-eye-view, will inspire you and your children to perhaps look more closely at nature when you are outside together.

Read the pages, examine the images, and let your child tell you what he thinks of each and every page. Use this idea of looking carefully during your next Outdoor Hour (or even a quick minute or two if that is all you have).

In our modern world it might be easy to miss these opportunities to take a good look at our surroundings. This book will serve as a stimulus and a reminder.


This is one you can look for at your public library and then decide if you want it for your personal library.

Step Gently Out • A nature picture book for all ages from Step Gently Out on Vimeo.

I’m an Amazon Affiliate and only recommend products that I personally own (or wish I owned) and think my readers will love as well! This post may contain some links that will take you to these products on Amazon where I receive a small referral fee. I greatly appreciate your support!

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Outdoor Hour Challenge – Woodpecker Bird Study

Outdoor Hour Challenge
Woodpecker Nature Study

Use the ideas in these challenges from the archives:
Black and White Birds – Woodpecker, Chickadee, Nuthatch, Towhee
Woodpeckers (2009)  
Ideas for Creating a Bird Themed Nature Table (printable)

Bird Feet
Use some of your time this week to observe some bird feet. Any birds will do so get creative…do you have ducks at a park, chickens near-by, or birds at your feeder?

These notebooking pages for your nature journal are meant to help you go deeper in your study of bird feet. page one can be used by younger children and page two is meant for a more advanced study. Feel free to choose one to use now and one to use later if you need to.

Here are some links to help you get started:
Birds Legs and Feet – lots of great images to view and discuss
Fantastic Feet of Birds – more amazing and clearly illustrated bird feet
Advanced Study – Types of Bird Feet

Printable Bird Feed Grid and Advanced Study Notebook Pages

Getting Started Suggestion:
If you already own the Getting Started ebook, complete Outdoor Hour Challenge #4. Use the ideas in this challenge to start a focused study of birds. Use the accompanying notebook page to record your week’s outdoor time and then start a running list of birds you see this month or for a season.    

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Butterfly Eyes and Other Secrets of the Meadow – Literature and Poetry

This post contains affiliate links to a book I highly recommend and have in my own library.

This month I am really encouraging you to look for ways to use literature in your nature study. I want to share a new favorite book, Butterfly Eyes and Other Secrets of the Meadowby Joyce Sidman. This outstanding book is a treat for the eyes and an inspiration for your pens and crayons!

I love it when a book can engage young readers and Butterfly Eyes uses lovely poetry and clever riddles to draw the reader in. The riddles help the children use their imaginations and their knowledge of meadow inhabitants in way that makes learning fun.

So many meadow creatures are featured in this book. I know lots of you may not live near a meadow so this book will introduce many of the animals, insects, and plants you will find there, creating enthusiasm for a future meadow visit with the narratives and illustrations.

The format is poetry riddles that your child will guess to identify the meadow creatures found on the following pages. The poems are on the over-sized pages…sometimes you even have to turn the book sideways to view the whole scene!

The end pages of the book are complete pictures of many of the subjects found in the book and are a great way to review once you are doing with the last page.

The style of the artwork is another great aspect of this book. Done with scratch art techniques, your children may want to imitate this style to create a beautiful scene for their nature journal or to display on your art wall.

Use the ideas in the November 2013 newsletter in the article I wrote on library books to help you get started reading this amazing piece of nature literature to your children.


Follow Up Ideas:

  • Identify the creatures on the dust jacket of the book.
  • Make up your own nature riddles.
  • Create a piece of artwork using scratch art. (Step by step instructions: Scratch Art.)
  • Memorize one of the poems in the book.
  • Pick one animal or insect from the book and create a nature journal page for it using a field guide

Look for other books by this same author at your library!

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Ultimate Healthy Living Ebook Library!

86 ebooks for $29.97. Savings of 97%!

Readers of my blog know how much I value healthy living and family relationships that are built around being active. Eating healthy foods, working at living a more green lifestyle, and being organized are also aspects of my life that I share on a regular basis. If you share these values, I have an opportunity for you to purchase a huge library of resource ebooks to supplement and encourage your chosen lifestyle.

I am super proud to have been asked to be a part of this new Ultimate Healthy Living Ebook Library! There are 86 ebooks in this bundle which makes the value of this product even more amazing (around 34 cents an ebook!). The library of ebooks themselves are enough to make you want this bundle but don’t miss the opportunity to also receive all the of the bonus items and to be a member of the Coffee Table Conversations which will be a twelve week (one hour per week) long conference with the 40 authors included in this ebook bundle.

As shown in the banner above, there are books in these categories:

  • Green Living- household cleaners, eco-friendly lifestyle
  • Natural Health- essential oils, home remedies
  • Healthy Lifestyle – depression, personal planner, organization, marriage
  • Healthy Kids and Babies-pregnancy journal, cooking with kids, potty training, using cloth diaper, calming your baby, etc
  • Real Food Cookbooks- nourishing, healthy foods
  • Allergy Friendly/Special Diets – gluten free, wheat and egg free
  • Gardening and Sustainability-gardening, herbs, emergency preparedness
  • Fitness- fat proof meals, getting fit
  • Meal Planning/Meal Preparation
  • Natural Skincare – homemade, simple products
  • Special Health Concerns- infertility, juicing, pain, sugar detox
  • Learning About Real Whole Foods
The Ultimate Healthy Living Bundle is available from November 4-9, 2013
 and is bargain priced at $29.97.

Buy Now
The purchase of this bundle of ebooks will give you a giant library to use in your home with your family for many years to come. The retail value of this bundle with all the extras is worth over $1,000…..a value so amazing that I was convinced to be a part of it right from the start.

Seriously, if you are interested in only a handful of books and would love the bonus items, this bundle is an amazing opportunity to get all of the extras as well.

You will find my Winter Nature Study with Art and Music Appreciation ebook included in this bundle in the Healthy Kids and Babies section.

Please read the FAQ Page for answers to many of your ebook bundle buying questions.

Disclosure: I am an affiliate for this ebook bundle and will make a commission for every bundle I sell. I have not read and cannot endorse every single book in this bundle. 

Get Educated

What’s Included in the eBook Library? ($800+ value)

Healthy Kids & Babies

Gardening/Sustainability

Healthy Lifestyle

Real Food Cookbooks

Allergy-Friendly/Special Diets

Menu Planning/Meal Prep

Natural Skincare

Natural Health

Fitness

Green Living

Special Health Concerns

Learning About Real/Whole Foods

Buy Now

What are Coffee Table Conversations? ($67 value)

  • For 12 weeks starting in January 2014, there will be a series of weekly one-hour live conference calls, where you can join in and ask your questions on relevant and timely healthy living topics to a panel of eBook authors.
  • You’ll be able to listen to authors converse with each other on any (or all) of the 12 calls that you choose to take part in, and get answers to your questions in real time!
  • There will be a private Facebook group, where that week’s “mentors” will pop in as often as they can and chat with you on the topics at hand. Talk about up-close and personal learning!

Get Equipped

What are the Healthy Living Bonus Offers? ($150+ value)

  1. My Dizolve Dizolve—A FREE 128 Load Twin-Pack of Dizolve Natural Laundry Detergent. Dizolve laundry detergent strips are an innovative, phosphate-free way to clean your clothes. ($25.98 Value. Standard shipping rates apply. Limited to the first 5,000.)
  2. Bulk Herb Store—An instant download of their instructional video Making Herbs Simple Volume 1 for only 1 cent. ($14.95 Value. No shipping restrictions.)
  3. Wise Choice Market—A FREE $15 store credit to be used at Wise Choice Market on the Finest Real Food around, including traditionally-made bone broths, organic fermented vegetables, wild salmon, sprouted breads, and many more. ($15.00 Value. Standard shipping rates and restrictions apply.)
  4. Fit2Be Studio—A FREE Two-Month Membership to Fit2B Studio (for new members) where their wholesome workouts for the whole family are TummySafe™and particularly target Diastasis Recti. Current members may apply the coupon code for $20 off a 1-year membership. ($19.98 value. No shipping restrictions.)
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  6. Plan to Eat - Meal Planning SimplifiedPlan To Eat—A FREE 4-Month www.plantoeat.com subscription. Plan to Eat is an online menu planner that uses your recipes scheduled when you want them — and they make your grocery list! ($19.80 value. No shipping restrictions. New accounts only. Offer expires Dec.15)
  7. TrilLight Health—FREE $15 store credit to be used toward Trilight Health‘s Fast-Acting, Great Tasting Liquid Herbal Formulas, or anything else in their store. ($15.00 Value. Standard shipping rates apply.)
  8. List Planit—Your choice of 3 FREE ePlanners OR a 3-Month FREE Trial Membership to ListPlanIt, where you can organize your life with hundreds of lists that you can create and manage at home or on the go. ($15.00 value. No shipping restrictions.)
  9. Cultures for Health—A FREE sourdough or kombucha starter from Cultures For Health PLUS a $5 credit to put toward anything else in store. (up to a $17.95 Value. Both the starter and the $5 credit can be used in the same order! Standard shipping rates apply.)

Buy Now

Important stuff you might want to know

  • Ultimate Healthy Living Ebook Library $29.97
  • Read the fine print. The details matter!
  • Check out our Frequently Asked Question page, particularly to learn about file types, how downloading works, transferring to eReader devices, redeeming bonus offers, and all that good stuff.
  • Remember, this bundle is available for 6 days, from 8 a.m. (EST) on Monday, November 4th to 11:59pm (EST) on Saturday, November 9th.
  • Affiliate disclaimer:I am an affiliate for this ebook bundle and will make a commission for every bundle I sell. I have not read or cannot endorse every single book in this bundle.

Want to know my picks?

  • Meals ePlanner from List Plan It (plus their bonus offer for 3 month free trial membership!)
  • UnWired Mom by Sarah Mae
  • Green Your Life by Emily
  • One Bite at a Time by Tsh
  • 21 Days to a More Disciplined Life by Crystal (Moneysaving Mom)
  • Fresh Nourishing Salads for All Seasons by Kimberly
  • A Practical Guide to Real Food by Kayla
  • The Essential Oiler’s Handbook

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Handbook of Nature Study Newsletter – November Nature Literature Edition

November 2013 
Nature Literature Edition

This edition of the newsletter is going to be a fabulous resource for you family. There are so many wonderful suggestions for literature that you can find at your library or add to your personal collection. Filled with practical advice and personal recommendations, the November 2013 Nature Literature Newsletter is going to encourage your family to try some new things as part of your nature study and the Outdoor Hour Challenge.

Contents of this edition of the newsletter include: 

  • 6 featured articles sharing varying aspects of using literature in your family’s nature study
  • November Study Grid and Printables
  • My Nature Book Report – printable notebook page
  • Coloring Page
  • Recommended study links  and suggested activities

I have attached the newsletter download link to the bottom of my blog feed so if you are a subscriber you will receive the link to the latest newsletter at the bottom of every post for the month of November. If you haven’t subscribed yet, you can still subscribe and receive the newsletter link in the next post that comes to your email box. You can subscribe to my blog by filling in your email address in the subscription box on my sidebar.

Note: You can download your newsletter from the link in two ways:

 

  • If your link is clickable, right click the link and then “save link as” to save the file on your computer.
  • If the link is not clickable, cut and paste the link to your browser, open, and then save your newsletter to your computer.

 

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Outdoor Hour Challenge Blog Carnival – October Colors and Textures

OHC Blog Carnival

October has been the most mild and inviting time to be outdoors! The mornings have been cool, the sunshine abundant, and the afternoons were just perfect to take a walk crunching the leaves under foot. I can’t remember an October like this one! I hope your month has been full of sunshine and nature walks too.

Thank you so much for sharing all your wonderful entries with this edition of the Outdoor Hour Challenge Blog Carnival. Readers are in for a treat and hopefully they will be inspired to take a few minutes during November to create their own nature study memories as well.

Our family’s October entries from this month’s study (in case you missed one):
Yosemite Autumn Trip
October Pumpkin Study and Recipes
Autumn Watercolor Nature Journal Idea

Be inspired. Be encouraged. Get outdoors!

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Image Credit: Michelle from Following Footprints

October Grid Study – Colors and Textures
Michelle from Following Footprints shares their OHC – Fun With Fall Colors and Textures entry with this edition of the carnival. I told her that this made my heart sing and I know it will inspire you too!

Lisa from Pilgrims at Tinker Creek has submitted their entry: Autumn Nature Walk. We get to glimpse into their colors and textures…so many to enjoy!

Image Credit: Carla at Inside Outside Michiana

Carla from Inside Outside Michiana put together a lovely entry: Leaf Art. This is part of the grid study this month. She is going to be having a 30 Days of Nature Art series on her blog in November 2013. That sounds awesome!

Image Credit: Carla from Inside Outside Michiana

Oak Tree
Carla from Inside Outside Michiana has submitted their entry: Nurturing Acorns – Trees. There are so many wonderful ideas incorporated into this entry that you don’t want to miss it if you have little ones.

Pumpkin
Shirley Ann from Under An English Sky has submitted their OHC Pumkins entry for you to read. They grew their own pumpkins, completed a study, and then did some pumpkin art. Don’t miss this encouraging post!

Michelle from Following Footprints shares their Pumpkin Patch Fieldtrip. So much pumpkiny goodness! They then did a Pumpkin Study and would love for you to take a peek!

Squirrels
Heidi from Home Schoolroom shares their Squirrel Nature Study entry with carnival readers.You are in for a treat..getting to read about and see their squirrel friend, Nutty.

Image Credit: Alex from Life on a Canadian Island

Potpourri
Alex from Life on a Canadian Island shares their Window Nature Study – Autumn October with carnival readers. What a simple idea! Alex also has submitted her Sunflowers-October Nature Study entry to this edition of the carnival. Oh My! You must see the images in this post…gorgeous! You can read her Sunflower-Dissection entry as a follow-up.

Shirley Ann submits her Autumn Mushroom Study entry for you to enjoy. The images and nature journal examples are worth the time to click over and read. Thanks Shirley Ann!

Barbara from The Schoolhouse on the Prairie has put together their The Best of Autumn (Autumn Nature Study) entry for you to enjoy. They are completing their nature study with a baby along this year…adorable!

Alex from Life on a Canadian Island has her Fungus-Strathgartney Park Trail entry put together for you to see their local fungus. Such a variety!  One last entry from Alex- Ladybird – October Nature Study. You must see the last image in this post…AMAZING!

Dorina from Outside Blue would love for you to read her entry: Monday Bike Ride and a Goldenrod Nature Study. Take a look at their goldenrod study in NYC. It is the tallest goldenrod I have ever seen!

Kathy from Kathy’s Cluttered Mind shares her entry: Arachnid Nature Club Hike. Don’t miss her free printable notebook page.

Cristy from Crafty Cristy has written up their Insects in Our Yard entry and you are going to really be thrilled to see all her amazing butterfly images. She has a great idea for stepping stones too…don’t miss it!

Carla from Inside Outside Michiana shares a wonderful entry with the carnival: Nature Study – Soccer Mom Style. This is a wonderful example to all of us to make nature study fit in where we can and see the value of it. Thank you for sharing this Carla.

OHC Blog Carnival
Don’t forget to share your blog entries with the Outdoor Hour Challenge Blog Carnival. All entries done in November are eligible for the next edition. The deadline for entries is 11/29/13 and you can send them directly to me: harmonyfinearts@yahoo.com or submit them at the blog carnival site (link on the sidebar of my blog).

 

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Our Quiet Nature Walk – Opening Your Senses


Taking a nature walk can bring refreshment to your whole family. Maybe you are having a tough day and the children are a little restless or perhaps the weather is just too nice to stay inside all day…these are perfect opportunities to drop everything else, put on your shoes and take a walk in your own neighborhood or a park close by.

  • Stepping outside can make a world of difference if you are feeling cooped up inside your house.
  • Fresh air can blow the grumpy attitudes away.
  • There is always something new to see outside…let your children show you.
  • Allowing time for children to explore, run, climb, and jump is a healthy way to burn up some built up energy.
  • Moms need a few minutes outside to look up at the sky and remember that each day has something to be thankful for.
I created a simple nature journal with some of the highlights of our Quiet Nature Walk.

We took a hike this week and I made sure to include a few minutes to walk quietly, using all our senses. This idea was included in this month’s newsletter along with three other ideas to use during your outdoor time.

You can find all four ideas in the October 2013 Newsletter on page 3:
Color Walk
Seasonal Walk
Quiet Walk
Follow the Leader
You can still receive this edition of the newsletter until 11/1/13. If you subscribe today, you will get it in the 10/31/13 entry (Blog Carnival) that comes tomorrow. Hurry…don’t miss it before it is gone.

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Seasonal Milkweed – Autumn Observations


Our our recent camping trip to Yosemite National Park, we made a special effort to really observe the milkweed. This was made lots easier by the fact that there was lots of milkweed in the meadow near the campground.

The real story of the Showy milkweed in the autumn is the way the pods burst open to expose all of the seeds with their silky white hairs. The brown part is the seed and the white part helps the seeds fly away from the plant.

Milkweed pods open to expose seeds @handbookofnaturestudy.blogspot.com

They remind me of dandelions because when you blow on the seeds they scatter to the wind. There are lots and lots of seeds in each pod. The information I read online said that the seeds are very viable and will grow in dry habitats including fields and road sides.

I think the milkweed silky haired seeds are very beautiful…look at them shimmer in the sunshine.

Original Challenge: Year Long Milkweed Study plus free printable notebook page
Our Spring Entry: Milkweed Nature Study  
Summer 2013 – Milkweed Observations

We have one more season to observe before we have seen the complete cycle of this wonderful butterfly attractive plant. I am looking forward to seeing what winter brings.

 

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Outdoor Hour Challenge – Autumn Weather Study

Autumn Weather Nature Study
Outdoor Hour Challenge

Use some of the ideas in these autumn weather challenges from the past:
Seasonal Weather – Autumn 2009 -free printable notebook page
Seasonal Weather – Autumn Observations  – with links
Weather Walk – free printable notebook page
Outdoor Hour Challenge #40 Seasonal Weather Study – free printable notebook page
Seasonal Weather – photo challenge with free printable notebook page

Autumn Watercolor – Leaves, Clouds, Acorns, or Anything Else
Bring out your watercolors (or watercolor pencils or watercolor crayons) and create a page for your nature journal as part of your Autumn Weather Challenge.

Watercolor Crayons – Complete Leaf Sketch and Video
Watercolor Clouds


You can also try one of the video watercolor tutorials on my daughter’s blog:
Hearts and Trees – Watercolor and Rubbing Alcohol

Getting Started Suggestion:
If you already own the Getting Started ebook, complete Outdoor Hour Challenge #1. If you haven’t tried any of the Getting Started suggestions yet this season, give Challenge #1 a try…super easy for every family to just take a walk together and then have a follow-up discussion and offer time for a nature journal page. Keep it light and easy. 

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OHC Blog Carnival

You are welcome to submit any of you blog Outdoor Hour Challenge blog entries to the Outdoor Hour Challenge Blog Carnival. Entries for the current month are due on 10/30/13.